backyard birds?

can I put out sunflower seeds for them? the problem is, the shells are a little salty. I know they don’t eat the shells, but can it by bad for them? thanks in advance!
- Alison

Wild Bird Seed for Backyard Use

Wild bird seed for our backyard use will entice more birds to our feeders. This bird seed can consist of a number of assorted seeds that will attract some unusual wild birds that come to our backyard. Many homeowners are enjoying bird watching today than ever before. We can use a few wild bird feeders and place different seeds in each one to invite more varieties of birds.

The seeds used depends on the type of birds we would like to see. Once we know what birds like which seeds we can determine how we want to use our birdfeeders. The following is a list of some of the seeds and which birds enjoy them for your convenience.

Black-oil sunflower seeds are considered as the number one best seller. Black-oil sunflower seeds are high in protein due to the amount of meat it contains. The outer shell is very soft for the smaller bird to handle. Our winged friends that enjoy this sunflower seed are the chickadees, finches, goldfinches, and nuthatches. The high oil content of this seed will keep the birds dry and warm in the cold winter months.

Striped sunflower seeds are not as popular as the black-oil seeds and are cheaper to purchase. The smaller birds usually find it harder to crack the harder shells of these seeds. The wild birds known to like this tougher seed are the blue jay, cardinal, and woodpecker.

Cracked corn seed is usually used to attract the larger bird species. Those that enjoy it are the eastern bluebirds, jays, pheasants, and some game birds. Using cracked corn all year in one of your bird feeders will probably attract some birds that do not use some of the other feeders. Living in Southern California as I do, the smaller birds will eat everything except the cracked corn.

Millet is a large part of wild bird seed mixes because it is tiny and round. This feed is used is tubular feeders, hopper feeders, and tray feeders. Some of the backyard birds that enjoy millet are quail, juncos, sparrows, doves, buntings, bobwhites, and cardinals.

Thistle seed is a tiny black seed that is imported from Ethiopia and India and is also known as Nyjer seed. These seeds are so small it is better if you use them in a feeder that has wire mesh surrounding it. Some of the species that enjoy Nyjer seed include the house finch, purple finch, and goldfinch.

Safflower seeds are large seeds that have a white coating around it. They are often used instead of black-oil sunflower seeds because they will not attract the grackles, house sparrows, or starlings. The safflower seed attracts all the sames birds as the black-oil sunflower and will also attract the jay, titmouse, grosbeak, and cardinal.

Nuts that are used as bird seed are generally peanuts and peanut hearts. These nuts can be sold separately and are also found in some of the wild bird seed mixes. Some of the feathered friends that enjoy the nuts are cardinals, goldfinches, chickadees, nuthatches, mockingbirds, titmice, and woodpeckers.

Wild bird seed mixes usually consist of black-oil sunflower seeds, millet, striped sunflower seeds, and one or two other types of seed and they will attract most species of bird. They are available in most grocery stores, wild bird centers, and the wild bird suppliers at many pet centers.


- Barbara E. Volkov

What bulbs are good to plant for spring butterflies?

Hello-
I am interested in planinting some bulbs for spring. I am very new at gardening, but I am trying to make an area in my backyard for birds & butterflies. Since it is too late in the year for me (I’m in Ohio) to get anything else to thrive, I am thinking of putting some bulbs down. Any ideas/thoughts/tips on my area would be good. I am planning on putting in a birdbath, feeder, and flowers. THANKS!
- XeroxAlto

what can I use to stop birds from eating my strawberries?

We are growing strawberries in a half barrel in our backyard, but the birds are eating them clean away? What will work to keep them out?
- erickac

Your Backyard Birds: American Robin

can Robin Scientific Name:  Turdus migratorius

The state bird of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin, the American Robin is a familiar songbird in the thrush family.  They live in towns and woodlands, and are commonly seen on suburban lawns exhibiting their “running and stopping” behavior as they gather their morning worms.

The America Robin feeds on different things throughout the day, including earthworms in the morning, and fruits and berries in the evening.  They are mostly active during the day and gather in large flocks at night to roost in trees in secluded areas.

The average life span of an American Robin is 2 years, with some living as long as 14 years.  Researchers have found that only 25% of young American Robins survive their first year.

Robins are considered a symbol of spring, and the color of their eggs coined the name Robin’s Egg Blue.  American Robins are especially fond of bathing, and are very attracted to backyard garden bird baths.

Identification Facts

Head to Tail Length: 9 – 11 inches

Distinctive Features: ruddy-orange breast and belly, white undertail coverts, dark head with semi-circle white eye ring, streaked throat, black back and wings, mainly yellow beak, the juvenile is paler in color with dark spots on its breast

Male & Female Characteristics: the male’s colors are brighter and his head is black, where the female’s head is gray.

Songs & Calls

The male American Robin’s whistled-song is commonly described as  “cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up…”. They often sing this song very early in morning and in the evening.

The American Robin uses it’s “peek, tut, tut, tut…” call to warn of predators, and makes the “he, he, he, he…” call (often compared to a horse’s whinny) when its nest is threatened.

Nesting Behavior

Distribution: The American Robin can be found throughout the continental United States

Nest Type: platform

Breeding Season: April – July, 2 -3 broods per season, one of the first North American birds to lay eggs

Migration: most migrate south to Florida, the Gulf Coast, central Mexico and Pacific Coast, returning north in February and March

Nest Facts: located 5′-25′ above ground, commonly between tree branches, close to human habitation and is built by the female alone, clutch consists of 3-5 eggs which female alone incubates, eggs hatch after 14 days and fledglings leave the nest about 2 weeks later

Recommended Bird House: Mounted Platform

Diet

Food Type: American Robins cannot digest hard fruits or grains, and they primarily eat worms, grubs, caterpillars, grasshoppers, soft fruit & berries (grapes, blueberries).  Commercially available food options include mealworms, or  insect and fruit suet.

Recommended Feeders: Ground Platform Feeder, suet feeder

Similar species

the thrush family is large and includes bluebirds, rufous-backed & clay-colored robins, aztec, dusky & eye-browed thrushes.


- Bill Askenburg

Best bird feeder, backyard bird feeders, feeding wild birds

www.rustic-lodge-lifestyle.com We’ve tried lots of different bird feeders, but this is BY FAR the best backyard bird feeder we’ve used. More than a dozen birds at one time will feed!
- LodgeLifestyle

Can a 6 year old cockatiel that hasn’t been around other tiels, adjust to life with other tiels?

Is it possible she might bond with them and maybe even find a mate? She calls out to my backyard birds sometimes and seems interested in watching them.
- kaloka

Audubon: Common backyard birds becoming less common?

Just the latest news stories how are planet is rapidly going down…

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/06/14/bird.decline/index.html

I am not predicting Doomsday rather I am saying People are destroyng each other and the planet and only one thing can fix it GOD who created it…
What will we do without foul, fish, fruit and honey?
- crimmsonandclover

where can i get pictures of backyard birds?

from north east usa
- nonnalorraine

Visits to a Backyard Bird feeder

Birds visiting my backyard bird feeder that contains thistle seed
- Brambleberries

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